1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety belts and harnesses and more particularly to a strap which is adjustably attached to a safety lap belt and shoulder harness combination to increase the comfort thereof to the user. The present invention particularly relates to a comfort strap designed to hold a shoulder harness away from the user's neck and/or face during inactive restraint and then breakaway in an emergency situation to allow the shoulder harness to properly function without inhibition during active restraint in its predesigned manner.
2. Description of Prior Art
It has long been the goal of vehicle manufactures such as those in the automobile industry, to increase the comfort of their products. Especially, increasing the comfort of automobile operators and passengers while seated inside the vehicle has been a major emphasis and focus of industry. Also in recent years, it has been the goal of government to increase the safety of automobile passengers and operators. In fact, the Federal government has required the manufactures of many motor vehicles to include seat belts and shoulder harnesses in the manufacture of the vehicle. Further, many states have made it illegal to operate a motor vehicle unless the operator and often the passengers also, are properly restrained by the seat belts and/or shoulder type restraining system harnesses provided in the vehicle by the manufacturer. This major concern has resulted in a requirement that all automobiles include seat belts (and also shoulder harnesses in most cases) which are designed as a restraining system to properly restrain a passenger or operator during an emergency.
There is a definite conflict between the governments requirement to provide seat belts in motor vehicles, and private industries attempts to improve the operators of passengers comfort when riding in the vehicle. Many attempts have been made to modify restraining systems such as seat belts and/or shoulder harnesses, in order to improve the comfort thereof. However, in many instances these modifications tend to prevent the seat belt and/or shoulder harness restraining system from functioning as per its original design during an emergency. Therefore, many of these modifications are not looked upon favorably for use because of their safety concerns.
In many instances, the most uncomfortable aspect of seat belts and shoulder harnesses restraining system is the angle at which the shoulder harness passes over the operator or passengers body. In many cases, due to this angle (or due to the size of the operator or passenger) the shoulder harness tends to rub against the user's neck or face. Since the vehicle tends to be shifted, bounced, or otherwise constantly moved during operation momentum of the passenger or operator's body responding to movements of the vehicle cause constant rubbing of the shoulder harness against the user's neck or face. This can become extremely uncomfortable. Very often, the irritation of the shoulder harness overcomes the user's sense of safety and results in the user either removing the device entirely, or modifying the way it is attached. In either case, the effectiveness of the seat belt and shoulder harness restraining system is significantly diminished, if not eliminated by said action.
There therefore exists a need to develop a device for modifying a seat belt and shoulder harness restraining system in order to increase the comfort thereof during use, while at the same time allowing the system to operate properly, as originally designed, during any emergency situation.